Card #118 -- John Mayberry, Kansas City Royals
John Mayberry originally came up with the Astros, with call-ups between 1968 and 1971. The team grew concerned that he was striking out too much, so he tried to be a little less wild at the plate. Unfortunately, his power numbers dropped off and he was traded to the Royals after the '71 season.
He immediately stepped into a starting position at first base in Kansas City, and that trade is considered one of the worst of the decade. Mayberry was one of the few heavy power hitters in the team's lineup and enjoyed career years from 1972-'75. His numbers tailed off in 1976 and a falling out with manager Whitey Herzog ended up with Mayberry getting benched for the ALCS and then blamed for the team's subsequent loss to the Yankees. He was soon traded again, to Toronto, a team that had just finished its first season.
Although his level of play was reduced from what he'd shown a few seasons before, Mayberry was a veteran presence for the Blue Jays. He remained with the team through 1982, when he was traded to the Yankees. That proved to be his final season.
His son is John Mayberry, Jr., who curently plays for the Philadelphia Phillies.
I never made the connection between John Mayberry and the Andy Griffith Show until you mentioned that. But I'll bet that's the first thing a lot of people thought when they first heard Mayberry's name back then.
ReplyDeleteHe's right here ... no, I mean right here.
ReplyDeleteAlways loved it when Royals 2B Cookie Rojas would do interviews and mention Big John, because he always pronounced it may-BERRY instead of MAY-berry...
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